


Falling Behind

by aeitric



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 3DMG, Apocalypse, Except the zombies are titans, It's like a belt, Kinda themed, Levi is so cool, M/M, Might be some gore, Probably will be, So is everyone else but like, Whaaaaat?, Zombies, isn't like the actual 3DMG, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 14:36:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4483070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeitric/pseuds/aeitric
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the first wave hit Town Sina, it was chaos. Blood lined streets and no one was safe, except the lucky ones.</p><p>Like me, Eren Jaeger.</p><p>But now, I fight for my life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so, first of all, I have never written a story like this before! Yay for Zombie!Titan AUs! 
> 
> Warning: Might be gore in later chapters, just bear with me!

I remember the days before the attack. The faces of a family I no longer know, names I cannot recall no matter how hard I might try. But with the good memories, there are the bad ones. Blood covering my mother's face and running onto her sunlight bathed dress. My father, fighting to get out of one of their grasps, yelling for me to run as I stand. I cannot move, cannot scream. My feet are frozen to the ground of our house, watching my mother being eaten alive. She does not cry or scream, she turns to me and she smiles. That is what spurred me to run. Her eyes, begging my feet to move and escape, to run to the woods. So I do. I hear the gurgles and moans of the Titans, but I do not heed to them. Relentlessly, my feet hit ground and it feels like I am flying and I might have enjoyed the sensation if I was just running, but then? I was not running, I was escaping. I had tried to pretend, just for a moment, that I was in the field with Mikasa and Armin, playing tag. That was why I was running, I had told myself. I was running from Armin. Not the man eating beasts that killed my mother and right now, probably killing my father.

 

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. From the moonlight that shone through my bedroom window, I had another nightmare. Grabbing the worn down leather hilt of my knife that sat on my bedside table, I tried to pat down my bedhead. These had gone on since that day, relentless nightmares that attacked my sleep. I shuffle out the door and glance at Grisha's door. If I hadn't stumbled across the cabin the the lush forest I don't really think I'd be alive right now. When I had found it, I figured it was empty but still knocked on the door anyways. I was out of breath, scared and alone when Carla pulled the door open. She took me in and her and Grisha immediately chose to adopt me, Grisha himself agreeing to train me. From then on, every morning he would press a knife into my palm and drag a large dummy doll out from the shed. He'd shown me to cut deeply into the nape of the neck of the dummy with hesitation and that was something I never took for granted. I practiced every day, and soon the flick of my wrist, the sickening thud no longer quite sickening, the adrenaline that came right before I killed the damn thing was like my religion. However, for the first ten years I never saw a Titan. Whenever I was practicing and heard the low gurgle, I'd call out for Grisha and he would go into the woods and kill it. I'd be lying to say I wasn't afraid of it, but I knew I could do it. I'm not heavily muscled, but after training for so long I've managed a lean body type, far from the tiny baby who ran away from his house so long ago. I was such a coward, leaving my mother to die and my father to fight by himself. But know I could fight and I swear, I'll kill them all!

 

The thought screamed in my head, over and over as the edge of my knife rained down on the nape of the dummy's neck, the spine sinking deep into the soft flesh-like material. I may have been a coward before, but now I was strong! I'd kill them, I'd kill them, I'd kill th-

 

A scream came from the house. Carla? I tucked my knife into the waistband of my pants and ran up the steps into the wood house, my stomach dropping into my feet. I wrenched Carla's door open, but was beaten by Grisha who had apparently woken up before I could get in. Carla's window was smashed in. The body of a Titan laid on the floor, blood seeping out on the floor but it evaporated quickly on the oak planks. I looked at Grisha, who was cradling Carla in his arms. Carla... her arm had two obvious bites, one on her forearm and the other on he shoulder, so there was no chance of cutting it off. Sobs racked Grisha's body but Carla just sat there, eyes glassy. The toxin must be setting in, I thought. I didn't dare say it out loud, even if Grisha was also thinking the same thought. Although Grisha and Carla weren't the affection giving type even to each other, it was obvious that they loved each other so much it hurt. I knew that they thought of my as their son. Grisha had told me once that an accident had happened a few years before I showed up, involving a wild moose and a pregnant Carla. I'm going to keep her privacy, but let's just say the baby didn't make it.

 

"Eren, get my bag. It has enough supplies to last a month or two. I know there is a gang out in these wood that live the forest and they might take you in. I'm sorry, but you can't stay anymore. It's not safe. When Carla turns, I refuse to not be there to... well... you know what happens when someone turns. I can't live without her, I sorry. I'm so sorry." At this point, Grisha apologies were slurred and slow with tears and snot. Eren didn't say anything, knowing he wouldn't be able to with the lump in his throat. He went into Grisha's room and searched through the closet. Finally he found the man's "emergency" bag, and threw it over his shoulder. He didn't dare look into the room and disturb the peace that might not last for too much longer.

 

Titan venom didn't take long to set in.

 

And so, me, eighteen year old Eren Jaeger, set off into the woods alone. Again.

 

* * *

 

 

Man, this sucked. One of my 3DMGs blew out today and it almost cost me a layer of tape wrapped firmly around my arm. I sat on the branch, fiddling with the gear until there was a familiar pop and the hook was back in place. I snorted with satisfactory, and glanced up at Hanji. She was talking to Petra who was laughing at whatever Hanji had just said. The scene was somewhat out of place. Levi shrugged that off and whistled to draw Hanji's attention. That was how they had to yell, as actually yelling would draw the Titan's attention. So far, they hadn't met one of the beasts that could detect a whistle. Hanji was the one who had the idea and since then, it was how they quote unquote yelled.

Hanji looked the man's way and waved, grabbing her 3DMG and aiming the the branch above Levi's, pressing the black trigger. Silver claws flew out and dug into the wood with an almost silent thump. Hanji pushed again on the trigger and the thread connecting the hook and her gear tightened and began to retract, pulling Hanji with it. The 3DMG was one of her best inventions, but no one knew it would become this useful. The gang (gang being Levi, Erwin, Hanji, Petra, Oluo, Eld and Gunther.) used the gear to fly through trees, a very helpful tool for escaping a large Titan attack. Although the 3DMG was amazing, I'd admit, it had it's flaws. It didn't malfunction a lot, but when it did it could be fatal. Once after the squad was finished raiding a store and were shooting on top of the roof, Erwin's gear malfunctioned and was bitten in the arm. I was able to pull him up, but had to lop off his arm first. 

Titan venom didn't take long to set it.

Hanji was able to make a sort of arm that allowed Erwin to press the buttons on his 3DMG, but it took a large toll on everyone. He was the brawn and brains of the entire squad and him losing and arm had the chance of being fatal. Luckily, he didn't turn and the prosthetic arm Hanji created worked. Erwin would always joke about the arm, saying things like, "One last arm for them to infect!" All in all, he was an okay guy and hey, I respected him for that. Being "good" in these times a hard thing to do, but Erwin managed just that.

I snapped out of it, and watched Hanji lower herself onto his branch, ponytail knotted and greasy and gross. They hadn't stopped at their water hole for four days now to wash off, and it was showing. Erwin smelled, Petra had dirt under her nails, Eld and Gunther looked the same, and Oluo? Don't get me started. He just want to get back the pond to wash off and hopefully do some laundry. He probably had sweat stains or something. Haha, gross. I suggested this to Hanji and she agreed, whistling for everyone else to come over to my branch. They discussed it, and after a vote, we decided to head back to the water hole. They all went back to their respective branches, aimed, and at Hanji's sharp whistle, shot forward.

After a few hours, we were finally there. I was even grosser, Erwin smelled worse, Hanji's hair looked damp and Oluo? Don't even get me started. We all dropped down, using the retracting clamp of the 3DMG to hold on to the branch each of us dropped down from. But when I started helping Erwin out of his shirt (he couldn't do it with just on arm), Petra whistled, a sharp note that indicated danger. We all got down and Petra pointed at the water hole, or at least next to. There was a lump that was beginning to rustle, and I silently began cursing Petra out. I pulled my knife out and was about to get up when the lump suddenly sat up straight. Hold on. I resumed in the crouch and watched the boy stretch his arms, back to us. He yawned and the bag that sat in his lap rolled out. From what I could see, there were about five or six knives. Oh, so this kid was a slasher? I had herd of these people, the one who lived in the woods and fought Titans with knives, up close and personal. We, the squad and I, never actually killed Titans unless necessary. These people, though? They could wipe out hoards of them with a sturdy swipe and a sharp blade. I had only ever heard of them, but now I'd meet one.

"Hey, you! Oui, you!" I didn't shout, but instead talked at a faster pace. It seemed to do the trick and the boy was obviously startled. What I didn't expect was the kid getting up and having a knife at his throat before I could try to talk the kid out of leaving any further. Immediately, Erwin was up and trying to talk cutie's blade off my trachea. Yeah, maybe subtly flirting with the kid while we was very much up to kill me wasn't the  _best_ idea I've ever had, but it wasn't exactly the worst. Besides, he really wasn't half bad. Brown hair, turquoise eyes framed by long lashes. Yep, if he wasn't about to slit my throat at the moment I might just have a go at that ass.

Erwin was finally able coax him into trying to, well, I don't know, not kill me, and he tucked the blade into the waistband of his pants. "What's your name, kid?" I inquired, watching Bright Eye shift in place uncomfortably.

"I'm Eren."

"Nice to meet you. Why are you here?"

"My parents are dead."

"Yeah, well, it happens to everyone."

Eren smiled a little then, and it was great, even it was only a little.

"Why don't you stay with us?"

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sounds of trash being compacted in the distance*

I didn't know exactly what to think of Levi's squad. I had Levi down pat as soon as I met him. He was arrogant even with a knife pressed to his throat and even more arrogant afterwards. Petra was a kind girl and helped wash the blood out of my wounds from running through the forest. She was in the middle of telling me how their belts worked when Erwin came over and sat besides me on the creaking old log they used as a bench. Erwin looked at Petra and nodded with a serious expression that I couldn't read. She got up and walked away. "So..." Erwin fidgeted. Oh boy, this was going to be awkward. "What are you doing out in the woods by yourself?" Oh, this wasn't going to be too awkward, as long as I could keep my mouth shu-

"My parents are dead. I'm sorry but from what happened before I figured you had already gathered this information."

And there it was. Me, shining star, Eren god damn Jaeger, just had to sass of the (most likely) leader of this gang and be left alone in the forest, again. Instead Erwin laughed. "I like your guts kid. So will Levi," Erwin commented, pointing at the short man who was squatted down over the watering hole, shirtless. He was absolutely destroying the pits of a plain white shirt while simultaneously yelling at the man Eren had come to know as Oluo. I looked back at Erwin, who was grinning at the scene. "If he makes a move on you, don't be surprised. It's been years since little dude has gotten some action and honestly? We all feel bad for him. Petra and Hanji are a thing, As gross as it is, Eld and Gunther have been flirting, and Oluo is a lone wolf." I glanced at the people as he listed off the names, but noticed he forgot someone. "But aren't you and Levi a thing?" I questioned. It only felt right, the leader and (presuming on Levi's extremely defined back muscles) the strongest being together. "No, no. We dated once in high school but those were the old times. After college I found someone named Mike, and we got married very quickly. Had a nice home, a few adopted children. Everything was nice. Then the Titans attacked, and I lost everything." Erwin smiled heavily and turned his head to the squad. "Except these guys. I thank whatever Gods I can each morning that I found them." Wow, I didn't expect that. A sob story from the leader of the group. That totally wasn't majorly cliché or anything. Still, I patted the large man on the back.

Levi finally got up and I watched him lay the now washed shirt on rock above the watering hole. He walked over to us and starting giving me what I presumed, was the "eye." In movies and stuff, like the shitty old romance ones Carla had left on her portable DVD player, the "eye" was where you'd sort of half-lid your eyes and just look really, really attractive. That, my friends, would be my reason for the new found discovering I was gay. But Levi? Well, it just look like he was glaring at me and winking (he didn't wink, it was more of a blink to tell the truth) and it just didn't work. I burst out in laughter until tears came out of my eyes and almost fell off the rock. Humanity's Strongest man couldn't wink. Levi pouted and sat down on the other side of me. Like a man sandwich. Nice.

"Levi, how old are you?" I asked when I had finally calmed down. Levi's scowl lessened but didn't let up. "I'm 28. You are?" "18." Well, it was only ten years. At least he wasn't Erwin's age (he had mentioned it earlier).

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, and so were the next few weeks. I had pretty much mastered the 3DMG and now flew along besides the squad. It was exciting, and the wind pressing against my face was a new thrill that I didn't know I had been seeking until today. Levi continued trying to pull "the moves" on me, all ending in utter failures and something just a blunt awkwardness in itself. Levi wasn't unattractive, that wasn't really the problem, it's just that I had never been in a relationship. I wouldn't know how to actually do the dating thing and didn't want to let Levi down if he expected it from me.

It was sunset when we got back to the waterhole. Eren had learned that the way the squad got their food was either, first, raiding stores for canned food and preservatives, or two, killing animals in the woods. Titans couldn't sense light so fires were safe, and couldn't smell so roasting meat was just as safe. I would usually be the one to actually kill them, the familiar turn on the blade coming of use on a doe's neck. Hanji taught me to stay quiet and still before an attack. Petra told me how to cut the breast meat and ribs out of the deer. Erwin helped me roast the thing. Levi gave me a smolder. So far, it was pretty nice and I didn't even really want to leave the squad. But I knew that they'd have to kick me out one day. Right? Maybe? Well, when it happened I promised to myself I'd be ready.

It happened that night.

I woke up to a Titan on my lap. I didn't freak out because it was cold, meaning it was dead, but I did freak out when i saw Levi. Holding the leather hilt of my favorite knife, covered in blood that was just starting to evaporate. He was glassy eyed and shocked, a look I had never seen on him before. "He... it was going to kill you. I just... I grabbed this," Levi held up the knife. "And I just sliced the neck. It just... fell." Oh, so this was Levi's first kill. I wasn't surprised that he was responding like this, but I was surprised when beads of tears formed at the crinkles of Levi's eyes and began to roll down. I pulled him into my lap and patted his back. He buried in face in the crook of my shoulder and neck and heaved heavy sobs as I traced circles on his back with my palm. It seemed to calm him down and the sobs stopped. I figured he was awake and was about to get up when a soft voice breathed down my neck. "I want to stay here. Please." Man, was this really Levi? The same person who was the best of all of us at 3DMG, the lone wolf? The one who sarcastically blew me kisses and climbed shelves of the rack of a convenience store we were raiding just to smirk at me over in another aisle? Still, I put him down next to me and our breathing combined with Levi's warmth soon put me to sleep.

The next morning when I woke up Levi wasn't next to me but as we were securing each other's belts on, his glares sent towards the squad and me were lighter, even if it was just a little bit. Even when we were assigned to get breakfast, he talked to me the whole way there about the ways he would snap rabbit's neck without getting blood on his clothes. "Just..." Levi spread his legs apart and put his arms up, hands mimicking holding a rabbit's throat. "DO IT." He bellowed and snapped the imaginary rabbit's neck. I applauded and he took a small bow, making me laugh a little and producing a small smile from him.

We did manage to find a wild boar and bring it back without getting too messy. Although, I did get some blood on me but I guess I deserved it because the whole way back I held the pig's hooves and mimicked a little pig dance along with Levi beatboxing to the rhythm. We were cracking up by the time we got back to camp, and Petra just rolled her eyes while everyone else just looked shocked. (Save for Hanji, she had seen what happened last night and was expecting this.) Even Erwin's jaw hung close to the floor. Levi just nudged my shoulder and grabbed one of his knives. He held down the boar and I began cutting.

Breakfast was great, Hanji had found a few leaves around the forest and had grabbed a few spices from the last store they had visited. Even Levi admitted it was good.

I looked up, about to complement Erwin on his ability roast pig but was interrupted by Petra's sharp whistle. Danger. There was a low grown that came from all sides, and we were surrounded by wolves almost insistently. Because the smell of cooking meat may not attract Titan't attention, but it sure will attract wolves.

 


End file.
